Chad Henne Will Shock NFL, Lead Miami Dolphins to Playoffs

Chad Henne remains the Miami Dolphins' starting quarterback for the upcoming NFL season despite the team's flirtations with the Denver Broncos' Kyle Orton.

In general, quarterbacks in the NFL are given a grace period until their third season to be judged, as the position is so difficult to learn. Henne is entering his fourth season after an unimpressive last year.

He finished the season with 15 touchdown passes but 19 interceptions and five fumbles, which led to widespread abuse and derogation from both fans and analysts alike. Some fans went as far as chanting for Kyle Orton during the team's training camp.

However, Henne hasn't really been in the NFL long enough to be judged just yet.

Despite being an NFL player for three seasons he has only started 27 games. In fact during his rookie season he had 12 pass attempts and was only dressed for three games. In a sense, Henne's third season—and as such his make-or-break year—is this year.

This is the year when Henne should be expected to take that leap to the next level. You can generally tell from the early signs in a quarterback's career whether his ceiling is elite or just to be a good player. The probability is that Henne is at best going to be just another good quarterback.

Even though Peyton Manning threw more interceptions during his first season as a starter than Henne did, Henne hasn't shown enough to ever reach anywhere near to elite status in the NFL.

What aids him, however, is the fact that unlike Manning, Henne does not have to carry the franchise for the coming season. If Henne can simply perform adequately and allow the Miami Dolphins' offense to be respectable then this team is destined for the playoffs.

The Dolphins won't win the AFC East, however, should Henne match the play of Mark Sanchez, or even come close to it, then the Dolphins should surpass the Jets and claim a wild card spot.

Defensively, the Dolphins look like having one of the best defenses in the league. Their front seven is second only to the Pittsburgh Steelers after the addition of Kevin Burnett and the expected development of Koa Misi.

While Vontae Davis and Sean Smith are one of the best corner tandems throughout the league. With Mike Nolan overseeing things, the Dolphins defense could easily end up being the best in the league. Nolan proved in Denver that he could work wonders with little talent and with the talent in Miami, the possibilities are endless.

For this reason, the Dolphins do not need Henne to put up huge numbers. If he can simply reduce his turnovers and make enough plays to get by, then the team will make it to the playoffs. He will be aided substantially by the Dolphins' offense that is very rookie friendly.

The addition of Mike Pouncey and Marc Colombo on the offensive line gives them a good group with enough maulers to get the best out of Daniel Thomas, Reggie Bush and Larry Johnson while Brandon Marshall, Davone Bess and Brian Hartline with a litle help from Anthony Fasano are all reliable receivers.

Many people have already written off Henne based on his first two seasons in the NFL, but he is still only 26 and will likely have learnt a lot over the past two years.

The Miami Dolphins are definitely a team in my mind that can shock the NFL this year with a trip to the playoffs on the cards. Chad Henne will, too.

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